Spectroscopic techniques applied to flavonoids

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is mainly to review the different spectroscopic techniques used for flavonoid analysis during the last decade.Atypical analysis involving spectroscopic techniques embraces structural elucidation including determination of stereochemical attributes. However, it may also be aimed at tracing specific compounds and presenting quantitative aspects (see Chapter 1), or revealing color depiction. More than 7000 structures in various flavonoid classes have been reported in this book. Nearly half of them have been reported after 1993, which reflect that continual improvements in methods and instrumentation used for separation and structural elucidation have made it easier to use smaller flavonoid quantities to achieve results at increasing levels of precision. Recent attention regarding the variety of flavonoid structures (Chapters 10-17) and their potential properties (Chapters 4-9) has highlighted the need for understanding the physiological functions of individual flavonoids in plants and animals, and their importance to human health. Deciphering biological functions, including pharmaceutical functions, from structural flavonoid information is of increasing importance in our society.